A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. I would like to point out that the snake in the portrait idea is not mine. I read it long ago in another story. If anyone knows which one, please PM me so I can give the author the credit they're due.
AvidReader(thanks for the review): Harry entered the time Chamber after Sirius' death during the summer before his sixth year. At that time Hedwig was still alive and went with him. She died at the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of his sixth year. I haven't had the time to read through the first two chapters again, but if it says otherwise I apologize.
After readers are done with this chapter, I would like to remind all of you that Harry WILL NOT tell anyone about being from another world, nor will they ever find out about it themselves. That's a secret he's taking to the grave. Having said that, do you guys care about him sharing his Shadow Mage powers with others? Let me knw. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 14: Enter The Troll
Harry was waiting outside of the door to the new P.A.L. study center, hoping McGonagall and Flitwick would arrive soon. For three days he'd been anxiously waiting for their decision to be made, and when it finally came he was informed that the empty classes had already been reconfigured . He was a little put out that he wasn't consulted about the design of the new Center, because he had reasons for why he wanted things in a certain place.
After another ten minutes of waiting, Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the two teachers walking down the hallway. By the time the pair actually reached him, he could barely stop himself from jumping up in down in his excitement to see the new Center.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter," McGonagall greeted him. "I trust you will be happy with the changes we have made to your Study Center."
"Good morning, Professors," Harry answered back. "I'm sure whatever you guys came up with will be great, ma'am. I'm just excited to see it."
Without wasting anymore time McGonagall waved her wand at the door and when she heard it unlock, she nodded at her eager young cub and said, "After you, Mr. Potter."
Harry quickly opened the door and as soon as he walked in, his jaw dropped in shock. The Study Center he was standing in was almost an exact replica of the one he designed and gave the teachers the pictures to.
The massive room was rectangular in shape, and everything in it was arranged just as he imagined. Unlike the House common rooms, the entire Center was a neutral off white in color. The far right corner of the Center had several smaller desks that would be used by the different tutors while they were explaining things to students. The far left corner contained a fairly large sitting area, complete with brown leather couches and several large bookcases that once filled, would make for a nice personal library. The large space that was in between both areas contained over a dozen tables with comfortable chairs for students to study at their leisure.
As he made his way to the three doorways directly across from the entrance, Harry knew these would lead to the other rooms he requested. When he opened the first door, it led to a classroom that was ideal for students to practice their Potions in. The room held a dozen stations for cauldrons to be lit over a controlled fire, and from the strategically placed vents he could see everywhere, he was happy they wouldn't have to worry about any fumes from the potions.
When he walked through the second door, Harry immediately knew it was the spell practicing area that he requested. He could see two training dummies already present in the room, and he mentally reminded himself to purchase several more. For now the two dummies would be enough for his needs, but once he began to teach the students how to really fight, he knew he would need several Auror grade dueling dummies for them to practice properly. The room itself was big enough to accommodate a large group of students if he needed to make demonstrations, and once he added his own touches to it, it would be perfect for his needs.
The final room that he inspected was the only one that was empty, but it was also surprisingly the largest of the three. Harry intended to use this area to put all the gym equipment he would purchase, but now he had more space than he would need. Easily two and a half times bigger than the gym available to the Quidditch players, Harry quickly began thinking of ways to fill in the added space. Not only could he purchase a few extra treadmills for the students now, but it was big enough for him to place several mats in a corner, just in case anyone other than Neville wanted to learn how to fight Muggle style.
Once he was done with his inspection Harry turned towards the silent teachers and saw both of them staring at him, waiting to hear his reaction. "This is absolutely amazing, Professors," he said to them in a perfect mixture of giddiness and awe. "You made everything exactly how I imagined. It's...it's...perfect."
When Minerva saw her young cub's face light up with happiness, the normally stern teacher allowed a brief smile to grace her lips.
"I'm glad you approve of the new Center, Mr. Potter," she said with a knowing smile. "Once Professor Flitwick and I agreed to allow you this opportunity, neither one of us saw any reason not to make the Center how you imagined it. After all, the pictures you gave us were quite detailed. I don't believe the House Elves had any problems recreating the things you wanted to have."
Harry could barely concentrate on the conversation he was having with the two teachers, because his mind kept wandering to the various things he wanted to provide for the Center. The moment his thoughts went to the small library he planned to set up for the students, he immediately recalled a conversation he had with Alex about the Ravenclaw common room.
"Professor Flitwick, would it be possible for you to add the same Charm to the Center as you did for the Ravenclaw common room?," Harry asked the teacher. "I want to add a few books to our library, but I don't want to lose them because students forgot to bring them back."
The diminutive teacher grinned at Harry's foresight and nodded his head in an approving manner. "Of course, Mr. Potter. As long as you have the books checked first by myself or Professor McGonagall, I would be happy to place the Charm on the Center for you. Just remember to have everything set up exactly as you want it before you call me. Not only does the Charm work solely on the things that are already present in the area when it's cast, it also makes sure that the items in the room are returned to their starting position at a certain time every day or when someone tries to remove them from the target area."
Harry was startled to hear that. From what he learned from Alex, he just thought the Charm would prevent anyone from taking the Center items out of the room. He didn't realize it would also help them with the cleaning up.
"Wow, that's brilliant, Professor," he exclaimed. "I thought the Charm only prevented people from taking things out of the target area."
Flitwick's eyes twinkled briefly at the exclamation he heard from his prize student. He actually altered the spell during his third year as a Professor at Hogwarts, and it was one of his favorite modifications. Over the years he tried to help Madam Pince by modifying the spell further to work for the Hogwarts library, but the target area was just too large for the Charm to take hold.
"The original spell does work in that manner, Mr. Potter, but I added a small modification of my own," he replied modestly. "I'm not a fan of clutter, and since my Claws get so carried away with their studies that they forget to clean up after themselves, this way I still have a clean common room to walk into."
Harry was once again amazed by what Charms could be used to accomplish. From the training he received in the Chamber in his old world, he was more than adequate at the subject. He could easily pass his NEWTs with an Outstanding, but that's where his proficiency came to an end.
Unlike people such as Flitwick, the Hermione from his old world, and his mum, even with all his power he didn't have the skill required to be a true Master at the art. Charms was a subject that involved finesse at the Mastery level, and it was obvious it was something he would never be able to do.
"Thank you again for agreeing to help with the Charm, Professor Flitwick," Harry said politely. "I promise to have everything in order before I contact you to cast it."
Flitwick nodded his head and replied, "You're quite welcome, Mr. Potter. I hope to see many good things come from this club of yours and I wish you and your fellow tutors luck in the new venture. Now, if there's nothing more for me to do here, I have papers that still need to be graded."
When the tiny Professor bid them farewell and left the Center in a hurry, the two Gryffindors found themselves amused by his animated departure. After sharing a brief moment of levity, the pair made their way to the leather couches in the sitting area, and took a seat across from one another.
"Now that your Study Center is ready to be used, Mr. Potter, I think we should talk about some security measures I would like to install."
Harry had some ideas of his own on the topic, but he was intrigued by what the Professor had in mind. "Of course, Professor. What would you like to do?"
"First, I have asked Professor Babbling to ward the entire Center for you. I understand you are financing many of the additions to the Center yourself, and I would like to safeguard your generous gifts as much as possible. Before you leave here I'll key you into the wards. Now, Professor Flitwick and I can help in an emergency, but as the head of this club it will be your responsibility to make sure the Center is opened and locked each evening. We realize you will need a way to be able to maintain authority with so many students present, so for the duration of this clubs existence you will be an acting Prefect while inside the Center. You, and you alone, may deduct points or issue detentions as you see fit. Do you believe you can manage this responsibility, Mr. Potter?"
Minerva waited for her cub to acknowledge that he understood his responsibility and when Harry did, she continued, "Second, I will have a rotating schedule of Prefects assigned to help you during the hours you will be open. Since this is a place designed for studying, it will most likely be fifth years, as they can benefit from being here for their OWLs. And third, no students are permitted to work in the Potions room, without one of the tutors or a Prefect present to watch over them."
Harry waited until he was sure the Professor was done, and then said, "I understand and accept all of your security measures, and the responsibilities that come with them, ma'am. They're all more than reasonable, but if you're interested, I do have some ideas of my own that I would like to add."
Minerva arched an eyebrow at her cub and replied, "Of course, Mr. Potter. After your last batch of surprises, I find myself wondering what you will come up with next."
When he heard the Professor give her consent, Harry pulled out his trunk from his pocket and quickly enlarged it. He opened the unlocked second compartment and retrieved the six shrunken full length mirrors he placed there last night.
As soon as he saw the questioning look appear in his Head of House's eyes, Harry explained, "Each of these have been spelled to act as two way communication mirror. I want to place one out here in the main room and one each in the Potions lab, the training room and the gym. The final two mirrors are for you and Professor Flitwick to keep in your office. Not only will this allow you to monitor all parts of the Center whenever you want, but we can use it to contact you if we need help from a teacher or you can use it to contact us if you need one of the students or the Prefect that is assigned for the day."
Harry had to force himself not to shake his head and grin, at the surprised look that appeared on McGonagall's face. In his former dimension Hermione would always tell him that Magicals lacked common sense. From his own experiences with the Wizarding world, he found it hard to refute that claim. The mirrors he suggested were just one example. He was surprised there weren't more of them available in the Magical world. They were easy to use, and acted as a magical version of a cell phone. His dad and uncle Moony even Charmed four mirrors to work back in their sixth year.
No matter how smart they were, if Hogwarts students were able to make something like that work, there should have been hundreds of adults capable of doing the same thing. Since the Magical world was too stupid to see the solution for themselves, Harry was more than willing to spoon feed them the answer for a price. Marauders Inc. was currently working on creating a system similar to the floo network for their new hand held "mirror phones". Once they got it working, he didn't doubt for a minute they would make the company a lot of money.
"That is an ingenious idea, Mr. Potter," McGonagall congratulated him proudly. "I would never have thought to use mirrors for this purpose, but these will go a long way towards easing my concerns over what goes on here. Is this your only idea, or do you have something else to recommend?"
Harry was simultaneously annoyed that McGonagall didn't already think of a simple solution like the mirrors to monitor the Center, and pleased to receive praise from one of his favorite teachers, regardless of the world he was in.
"I do have one more suggestion, ma'am," Harry replied.
"Then do tell, Mr. Potter. As the Yanks say, I'm all ears."
Harry couldn't help himself from smiling at the energetic and pleasant response he received from the Transfiguration teacher. This was a side of her he'd never seen before, and it made him realize that while he'd earned her respect as a person in his old world, he'd never actually done so as a student. The way the McGonagall of this dimension spoke to him and acted around him, he could tell this time around she saw him as someone worthy of listening to. It was a realization that made his heart swell with pride.
"While I think your measures for the Potions lab are something we should definitely do, I would also like to add a runic shield array to each workstation. Most Potions Masters use them for their own stations, and they work via a preset password that is voice activated. In the event a potion is about to go horribly wrong, the student can say the password outloud and a shield will form around the Cauldron preventing anyone from being harmed."
McGonagall was stunned when she heard about the shield array and curious as to why something like this wasn't already being used at Hogwarts. She took the safety of her students very seriously, and with the daily potions accidents she read about in her reports from Madam Pomfrey, this could drastically cut down on the number of injuries that occurred.
"If something like this exists, Mr. Potter, why don't we have these shield arrays at Hogwarts?"
"The arrays have a limited shelf life, Professor," Harry answered. "Not only do they degrade every time they're used, but they only last for six weeks and can't be recharged. You would have to physically replace them at each workstation every few weeks. The time and money required would be too expensive for a large school like Hogwarts, but it would be cost effective for a Potions Master trying to make a living."
"If that's the case, how do you plan on making it work? Wouldn't the expense be the same for you?"
"Not quite, ma'am," Harry replied with a smug grin. "While incredibly time consuming, the shield arrays are actually pretty easy to make. I'm more than capable of replenishing them for the dozen workstations we have in the lab. If Professor Babbling is willing to look over my work, as long as I complete the labor portion of the job myself, it should only take her a few minutes every six weeks to monitor me as I install them."
McGonagall didn't know what to say. The stern Transfiguration Professor was once again shocked by her brilliant cub's knowledge and ability. It was a measure of how much faith she had in him, that not for one second did she doubt he was capable of creating the arrays he mentioned.
"Very well, Mr. Potter. It seems as if the P.A.L. Study Center is now ready for business."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Harry replied with a happy grin. "I promise I won't let you down, ma'am."
As he stared at the mountain of food that was spread across the Gryffindor table, Harry found himself finally able to relax. The day had been a strenuous one for him, and he was thankful that everything was different this time around.
Much like his old world, the day began the same way in this one. In Charms class Hermione tried to help Ron with the levitation spell and once again the useless git insulted her for her efforts. Luckily the confident and happy Hermione of this world, laughed off his insults and walked away without giving him another thought.
Despite her actions, by the time he was certain the brunette Ravenclaw was no longer in danger of wasting her time crying in the girl's bathroom, half the day had gone by and Harry was tired from having to monitor her in secret. He'd used his Shadow Walk ability to look in on her in between classes, and the constant strain had taken a toll on his young body.
As soon as he came to the conclusion that Hermione would be okay, Harry was finally able to turn his attention to his god brother. He was expecting the boy to react to the day the same way he had in his old world, and he was surprised to find that it wasn't true.
While there was no doubt that Neville missed and mourned the loss of his parents, he didn't act as morose as Harry did on the same day. Growing up with his Gran taught his god brother how to be proud of the sacrifice his parents made to save the Wizarding world, and he didn't spend his time sulking throughout the day. It was definitely a startling experience for Harry to see, and a part of him wished there had been someone around who would have done the same thing for him.
Harry looked up to see his girls at the Ravenclaw table laughing and enjoying the feast with their peers. Beside him Neville was doing the same with Seamus, Ron and the twins, and that's when Harry realized he was the only one in the Great Hall that wasn't partaking in the feast. He was still acting like he did in his old world, and for the first time in his life it occurred to him that he didn't need to be afraid of this day anymore.
In that moment he finally accepted that this day no longer needed to be a painful one for him.
In his new world he had parents that loved him, and siblings that adored him. The pain and suffering that once marked this day for him, no longer applied to his new life. For the first time since he learned of his parent's death, Harry finally allowed himself to enjoy the celebration of Voldemort's defeat with everyone else.
With a smile on his face, and not a care in the world Harry heartily attacked the meal that was in front of him. He could see that all the students were present in the Hall, and if Quirrelmort released a troll this time around as well, he would just sit back and let the teachers take care of it. Once he stopped worrying about being the suffering hero from his past, Harry joined in on the fun and banter that surrounded him.
Thomas Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort as he now liked to be called, walked down the Hogwarts hallway in disgust. After taking over possession of Quirrell's body he learned his servant's core was more pathetic than he could have imagined. The lack of power was forcing him to draw upon his own magical reserves to control the troll that was behind him, and it annoyed him to feel the drain this was causing.
It was his intention to release the troll near the Gryffindor common room, and while he used the distraction to steal the stone, he hoped the mindless beast would leave its mark on the foolhardy Lions. Even after all these years, the Slytherin in him detested the House of red and gold, and it would please him to know his actions robbed the lives of McGonagall's precious cubs.
Midway through the hallway, Voldemort stopped when he heard the sound of a snake hissing nearby. He cautiously approached the noise, and smiled when he saw the three headed snake in the portrait in front of him.
The Runespoor was part of a spell he created while he was in his sixth year at Hogwarts. As a known muggle born in the Snake pit, he had to constantly be on guard to protect himself from the assaults engineered by his Pureblood Housemates. In need of information to help him avoid the traps they set for him, Voldemort created a spell that added the snake to a portrait he hid on the seventh floor.
The spell not only allowed the snake to travel through all the portraits in the Castle, he made sure it couldn't be seen or heard by anyone but him. The Runespoor or Custos as he liked to call him, lived up to his name. Latin for spy, Custos overheard conversations from all across the Castle and relayed that information to him every night. Never again did Lord Voldemort suffer through the assaults of those who were beneath him. The knowledge he learned from Custos allowed him to blackmail or threaten enough people that he was finally able to lay claim to his rightful place as the Prince of Slytherin.
Since his return to Hogwarts, he once again reconnected with his faithful servant and used him to spy on the Boy-Who-Lived and gather information from throughout the Castle.
"Massster, it isss you. I have done asss you asssked and sssearched the Cassstle."
"What newsss do you bring for me tonight?"
"Except for three girlsss, the Cassstle is clear, my Lord. The ressst are in the large hall with food."
"Who are thessse girlsss Cussstosss? Are they from the Houssse of Ssslytherin?"
"No Massster. They are from the Houssse of feathersss. They are the onesss that are alwaysss with the boy you asssk me to follow."
Voldemort felt himself smile at the news. The mudblood and the two blood traitors were even a better target than the pathetic Gryffindors he originally planned to attack. The Longbottom boy spent the majority of his time around those three, and nothing would please him more than to cause the brat that defeated him to feel the pain of their loss. If fortune decided to favor him this night, perhaps the Boy-Who-Lived would meet up with them and perish along with his friends.
"Where are they right now, Cussstosss?"
"They are in the girlsss bathroom on the firssst floor, Massster."
"Very good my pet. You have done well tonight. Go back to your work and find me if you learn of sssomething important."
"Yesss, Massster."
Now that he no longer had to lead the mountain troll to the Gryffindor Tower on the seventh floor, Voldemort didn't see the need to continue to waste his magical reserves by possessing Quirrell and controlling the troll.
Voldemort pointed his wand at the troll's head and used parselmouth to hiss one of his favorite spells. "Imperio."
It took a moment for the beast's eyes to glaze over, but when they did, Voldemort gave the troll his orders in its native guttural language. "You will go down to the first floor bathroom and kill the girls that you find there. Even if it requires your death, you will not stop until the job is done. Do you understand what you have to do?"
When he saw the troll nod his head in answer, Voldemort smiled. Normally an Imperio, even if it was done in Parselmouth, couldn't force a human victim to do something that would kill themselves. Luckily the same couldn't be said for a troll. While a normal Imperio wouldn't work on them, when done in Parselmouth, Voldemort found they would do anything they were commanded to do. Even if it meant dying in the process. He was incredibly pleased when he made this discovery years ago, and found it to be quite the useful tool for him during the war.
"Good," he replied in the same guttural speech. "Should you live through that mission, I command you to kill and destroy everything in your path for as long as you live. Now go and hurry to the first floor."
As soon as he saw the troll leave the hallway, Voldemort slowly released control of the body back to his servant. He knew he would need to conserve his magical reserves for the traps the old man must have placed around the stone, and gladly allowed Quirrell to take back the body and act the fool while informing the Great Hall of the beast's presence. Once the adults were busy running around trying to find the troll, he could finally take the stone and make his return to the world of the living.
Harry was laughing and having fun with his fellow Gryffindors, finally acting like the kid he was supposed to be. He was so engrossed in the conversation he was having about Quidditch, he didn't even care that the majority of it was with Ronald Weasley. For too long he'd spent moping around on this day, and now that he was actually celebrating it, he could see why students looked forward to this feast every year. It was at that moment that the door to Great Hall was flung open and Quirrell came running in.
"TROLL,THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON," he screamed at the gathered students and teachers. "J-j-just thought you should know."
When the DADA teacher fainted in front of the student body, the entire hall fell silent for a fraction of a second. Then the screams suddenly shot up from every table and the Great Hall erupted into pandemonium. Several students began running towards the exit, and many of them would have made it through if Dumbledore hadn't taken command of the situation.
"SILENCE," Albus roared to bring an end to the chaos. "Everyone will calm down right now. Prefects, take a headcount of the students at your tables and then make your way to your common rooms. Teachers, please come with me to the dungeons."
While the rest of the hall was busy following the headmaster's instructions, Harry was frantically searching for the girls. His frustrations began to build with each passing moment that he couldn't find them, but the chaos in the hall made it difficult to determine where the three Ravenclaws were hiding.
Finally realizing he had another way to look for them, Harry pulled out the Marauders Map from the moleskin bag on his hip and activated it. His eyes quickly scanned through the list of names that were in the hall, but he still couldn't find any of the girls. It wasn't until he moved the search to other parts of the Castle, did he find the trio in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. Unfortunately from what he could see on the map, the troll was already on the same floor with them.
When his fellow Gryffindors began to follow Percy and the other Prefects out of the Great Hall, Harry quickly moved to join them. Once he was outside, he broke apart from the group and rushed towards an area where he could see a shadow. Before he could use his ability to go to the girls, he suddenly felt someone grab him from behind.
"Harry, mate, where are you going?," Neville asked him.
Harry saw the concerned look on his god brother's face, and knew he wouldn't let him go without a reason. Not wanting to take the time to come up with a lie, he decided to tell him the truth.
"It's the girls, Nev," Harry answered in a rush. "They weren't in the Great Hall when Quirrell came running in. I checked on the map and found them in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. The trolls already headed towards them, Nev."
"Then I'm coming with you, Harry."
Not wanting to waste time arguing, Harry reluctantly answered, "Fine. But keep your questions to yourself for now. I'll explain things to you later tonight."
Before his god brother could even think to countermand his order, Harry touched his arm and activated his Shadow Walk ability. The pair instantly disappeared in the cold grip of darkness that enveloped them and Neville was stunned when they suddenly reappeared right outside of the girl's bathroom.
Harry didn't bother with any formalities like knocking and immediately rushed through the door. Thankfully when he entered he saw that Daphne and Alex were talking excitedly behind Hermione, while the brunette Ravenclaw was busy washing her hands at the sink.
"Why the hell did you guys leave the Great Hall?," Harry asked, barely managing to contain his fury at the situation. "You know what, nevermind. Don't answer that. Let's just get out here as fast as we can."
The trio of girls just stared at him like he had two heads and was speaking in an animal language. Suddenly Hermione snapped out of her shock and screamed, "HARRY JAMES POTTER, THIS IS THE GIRL'S LAVATORY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"
Before he could answer the question, the troll made its presence known to the group. The door to the bathroom was hit by a powerful strike from the troll's club and it blew off its hinges and slammed into the sink nearest the door. The impact destroyed the porcelain basin and suddenly water erupted all around the bent pipe.
At this point Harry gently pushed the girls further behind him, and made his stand with his god brother at his side. As he watched the humungous mountain troll make its way towards them, he could almost see the beast frothing at the mouth. Harry wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was positive this troll was going to be far worse than the one from his old world.
Harry raced through various options in his mind and he chose the one that would hopefully mean his friends wouldn't have to get involved in the fight. Turning to his god brother he said, "I've got an idea, Nev, but I need you to stay back and look after the girls."
When he saw the hesitant nod come from the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry shifted into Altor and rushed towards the approaching beast. He ducked between the trolls legs and in a blinding fast maneuver struck the beast's hamstring with his claws.
Harry was momentarily startled by the cries of pain that erupted from the troll's mouth, and he barely managed to jump away from the club that it swung downward towards him in retaliation. The floor cracked under the massive club's assault, and while the beast was slightly bent from the strike, Harry flung himself onto its body.
Altor's powerful jaws sunk into the beast's neck, but before Harry could think to rip the troll's throat out, he felt the beast move with a speed he didn't think it was capable of. Suddenly a massive hand grabbed him by the top of his mane, and he found himself flying through the air, as the troll hurled him back towards his stunned friends.
Harry felt his body groan from his impact with the bathroom floor, and when he forced himself to his feet, he realized he wouldn't be able to beat the troll in his Animagus form. Once he decided to move on to plan B, Harry shifted back into his normal body and moved to stand next to his slightly in awe god brother.
"Hey, Nev?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Do you remember the training we've been doing with chain spells?"
"Yeah I do, Harry. Why?"
"We're going to attack him in a staggered approach, Nev. First me, then you. We'll keep alternating and hitting him with spells until we push him back to the far wall. Then I'll bring the ceiling down on the bastard."
"Sounds like a good plan, mate. Let's do it."
"Nev?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't hold back. If it comes down to us or it, I'd rather we were the ones that came out of this alive."
Once he was certain Neville was ready for the upcoming fight, Harry initiated the attack with his first chain spell. "Sectumsempra, Lacero, Expulso, Defodio."
Neville saw his god brother finish his chain and immediately struck with one of his own. "Reducto, Bombarda, Slashio, Confringo."
Harry knew that trolls, especially the mountain variety, had a high resistance to magic. But even they would be hard pressed continue attacking with a steady stream of blasting and cutting spells being sent their way. When he saw that their spells were slowly pushing the massive creature back, Harry poured even more of his power into each spell. "Confringo, Diffindo, Defodio, Bombarda."
Neville immediately continued the assault with another chain of his own. "Stupify, Diffindo, Incendio, Confundo."
The powerful spells managed to push the beast back to the far wall of the bathroom. At this point Harry released the chain he wanted to use. It was no where near as powerful as the spell chains he and Nev had already been throwing at the troll, but it was the perfect chain for the plan he had in mind.
"Impedimenta, Obscuro, Locomotor Mortis, Aguamenti, Glacius Maximus."
The chain he'd been saving did exactly what he wanted him to. The Impedimenta stopped the troll's forward momentum, as it tried to push itself off the wall and come towards them. The Obscuro made the beast momentarily blind, while the Locomotor Mortis locked his legs up, and caused the troll to fall to its knees. It was at this point that the final two spell came into play. The Aguamenti spell shot water out of his wand, but since Harry had overpowered it, it was more than enough to drench the troll completely. The Glacius Maximus was a high level freezing spell that used the effects from the previous spell to partially freeze the monster trying to attack them.
Despite the success of their attack, Harry knew the troll was far from being beaten. Even now it was fighting against the ice that had formed around its body, and once it broke free, he had no doubt that it would rush them immediately. While he was more than able to continue launching spells at the troll, Harry knew Neville was quickly reaching the limits of his eleven year old body.
When he saw the ice begin to crack around the monster's skin, Harry prayed to Merlin he was doing the right thing. He quickly pointed his wand at the ceiling directly over the troll and launched an over-powered Bombarda at it. The blast from the spell was a lot stronger than Harry imagined and nearly a quarter of the ceiling came crashing down on the beast, finally knocking him out of the fight.
The two boys panted softly, as they both admired their handiwork. It was at this moment that the teachers came barging into the destroyed bathroom. As soon as Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall and Dumbledore came in, they all looked at the destroyed bathroom and unconscious troll in shock and awe.
"Mr. Potter, what in Merlin's name is going on here?," McGonagall asked her cub.
"My apologies, Professor, but when Professor Quirrell told everyone in the Great Hall that there was a troll loose in the school, Daphne, Alex and Hermione were not present. One of their fellow Ravenclaws told me they went to the restroom, so Neville and I rushed here to warn them."
Daphne and Alex looked at each other in surprise when they heard Harry's response. They knew for a fact that no one knew they were supposed to be here, because it was a spur of the moment decision. Their actual destination had been the library so Daphne could pick up the book she'd left there before the feast started. As they both turned their attention back towards the Professor, they first silently agreed to have a nice long conversation with their betrothed. They both suspected he must have found them by the Marauders Map, but it didn't hurt to verify their theory. Besides, after the night's revelations, he had a lot of things to explain to them.
As he watched the two exhausted first years, Albus didn't know whether he should be elated that his weapon survived this disaster or furious that he had the skill to do so. With each passing day it was becoming harder to find a way to gain control of the Boy-Who-Lived and this event would only boost the brat's confidence.
"How were the two of you able to accomplish this, Mr. Potter?," Albus asked in his kind grandfather voice.
Harry had to force himself not to glare at the manipulative headbastard and in a calm, even voice he replied with only half of the truth, "We used a staggered approach and kept a steady stream of spells on the troll. Once we managed to push it to the far wall, I used an Aguamenti combined with a Glacius Maximus spell to temporarily freeze the troll. That's when I hit the ceiling with a Bombarda and buried him under the rubble."
Snape stared at his most hated enemy's son, and found himself curious at how powerful the boy really was. Not only were the spells he fired supposed to be too advanced for someone his age, the strategy the boys used should not have been known to any Hogwarts student, regardless of the year they were in.
"How exactly did you know about the staggered approach with spell fire, Mr. Potter?," Snape asked curiously.
"My father and godfather are two of the finest Aurors in the DMLE, Professor. Short of "Mad-eye" Moody himself, I don't know anyone that's better in a fight amongst the remaining Aurors at the Ministry. Growing up I've heard countless stories of the training they received, or when they caught a Dark Wizard during work. That strategy was something I heard them mention once, and I thought it was fitting for what we needed to do today."
It was at this point that McGonagall had enough. She could see that her cubs were obviously exhausted, and she wasn't about to let the other teachers spend more time interrogating them for no reason. The pair were not responsible for the attack, and she was extremely proud of the courage and bravery they showed to rescue their friends. It may have defied the orders the headmaster had given in the Great Hall, but she was willing to overlook it in light of the reasons behind said actions.
"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter," she said in a proud and commanding voice. "By the courage and bravery you have shown here tonight, it is obvious that you are both a credit to your House. I award you 50 points apiece for saving the lives of your friends."
When she saw the pair begin to blush furiously at her praise, she was happy their reaction hadn't been one of arrogance. Most students and adults would be bragging about their victory, but her cubs seemed to want to avoid the limelight as much as possible.
"I believe you have all had enough excitement for one night," she said knowingly. "Unless any of you require the services of Madam Pomfrey, I suggest you all to head back to your common rooms now."
"Would it be okay for Neville and I to escort the girls to their common room, Professor?," Harry asked hesitantly.
When he saw the stern teacher nod her head in approval, he suddenly felt Daphne and Alex each grab one of his hands with their own and pull him out of the destroyed bathroom. As soon as the couple was far enough away from the teachers he looked over and saw the furious looks on the faces of both of his fiance.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Potter," Daphne whispered into his ear.
Before he could even think to respond, he heard Alex's voice whisper from his other side, "And if you know what's good for you, Mr. Potter, you will answer all of the questions that we have for you."
As he felt himself being dragged towards the Ravenclaw Tower, Harry tried not to worry about the upcoming conversation. After all, he was Harry James Potter. Death's Champion. The Defeater of Voldemort. The Destroyer of Death Eaters. And the Slayer of Basiliks. He would survive whatever the girls had in mind. At least that's what he kept telling himself over and over again.